


Ghosts and Goosebumps

by LottieHolmes



Series: In Vino Veritas [2]
Category: Ghost Hunt
Genre: Blood, F/M, Horror, Islands, Marriage, Married Couple, Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-16
Updated: 2015-01-13
Packaged: 2018-01-01 18:26:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1047140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LottieHolmes/pseuds/LottieHolmes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to In Vino Veritas. Six months after the events of In Vino Veritas, Naru takes the SPR to England where a deadly case has stumped the country's best investigators. Now SPR is the last hope. Will a case of bloody pasts and deaths bring Naru and Mai even closer or will one be lost forever?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Isle of Death**

**Prologue:**

It was just a typical day at SPR. Lin was sat in his office, typing as usual. Yasuhara was filing, as per normal. Bou-san and Ayako were being told off by the resident narcissist for making too much noise; this was a daily occurrence.

"How many times must I tell you that this is not a cafe?" he griped and glared at the duo. "Unlike you two, we are busy here."

The pair eyed the scientist carefully. A vein was pulsing in his forehead and he seemed to be more distinctly touchy than usual. Bou-san glanced around the office to find that there was no sign of the only person who could calm Naru down.

"Would you like some tea?" he offered. "Caffeine cravings can really get you down, we've all been there."

"There is no tea here, we ran out," Naru answered reluctantly.

As if on cue his wife burst in, followed a few seconds later by his son. Mai had flushed red cheeks and pale skin as if she had run all the way up the stairs and she was holding out a tin of tea triumphantly.

"Will you revive if I wave it under your nose?" she giggled.

Naru stared at her unamusedly. "Mai, tea," he said, not answering back to the quip.

Everyone exchanged knowing looks. Mai was the only person that could bait Oliver Davis without any adverse effects. It probably had something to do with the fact that she was his wife.

Yakumo ran forward and smiled up at his father who gave him a small smile back and patted his head.

Mai hung up her coat and walked off to the kitchen followed by Naru. Their son stayed behind to play with Ayako and the monk who doted on him the most.

The resident tea maker filled up the kettle with water and set it to boil. A pair of arms wrapped around her from behind. She smiled indulgently. Her husband only had occasional bouts of being affectionate with her, but the moments had been increasing lately.

"I'm not tea, Naru. Go sniff a teabag if you want your fix."

He laid his head on her shoulder. "Mai, I did not marry you for the tea. I don't know why everyone seems to think so."

"Even your parents entertained the suspicion," she said as she recalled their second honeymoon in England when his parents witnessed their son sniffing his new wife, saying that she smelled like tea.

"You are the one that spilled it down yourself," Naru said, as if reading her thoughts. "It is not my fault that they seemed to be under the impression that it was my idea of a romantic gesture."

Mai placed the tea leaves in a strainer and poured the boiling water through it with skilful movements. Luella Davis had showed her how to make English tea so she now made Japanese and English tea for Naru.

"Your idea of a romantic gesture is those tortuous English lessons."

"They paid off. You can pronounce L now," he retorted. "In any case, you cannot say that I don't reward you."

"What do I get for " **Noll is a narcissist, but I love him?** " she quipped as she handed him his cup of tea.

Naru placed the steaming cup on the kitchen worktop and pressed his lips against hers gently. Mai pulled him closer and he brushed his tongue against her lower lip before pushing it into her mouth and touching the roof of her mouth. His wife gasped and he used that as a distraction to push her against the wall.

"Naru..." she murmured breathlessly with a glazed look on her face.

Naru smirked. No matter how many times he did that to her, she always reacted in the same way which made him want to do it even more.

The sound of someone clearing their throat brought him back to reality. He was in SPR, his place of work with many nosy employees. However since the person was not teasing him, he knew it was safe.

"What do you want, Lin?" he asked, without turning his head.

"Your mother is on the phone."

This made him release Mai and walk over to Lin who was holding the cordless phone in one hand. He picked it up and locked himself in his private office. His tea was going to have to wait.

" **Hello Mum** ," he said in English.

" **How are you and Mai getting on?** " she asked with a laugh.

" **We are still married. There is nothing to worry about. What did you really phone for? You call Mai every couple of days to talk to her and get the gossip so it clearly is not what you really phoned for."**

There was an intake of breath over the line. " **You're still very sharp. I'm calling you to ask if you want to take on a case in England."**

**"Why me? There are plenty of investigators in Great Britain and I'm all the way in Japan."**

There was a pause. " **It's a very difficult case, Noll. You are our last resort. The case has claimed several investigators' lives and made others quit their careers."**

**"Where is it?"**

**"Martin sent you the case file just now. You can leave Mai in Japan if you see fit; you did tell me that she was a magnet for trouble."**

**"How many plane tickets did you purchase?"** he enquired as he logged into his email account.

**"Eight. Narita to Heathrow. In two days time. I didn't get one for your son because I felt that he is too young."**

Naru clicked on the email from his father to find an image of a ruin which looked like a castle and the attached case file. He opened it to read.

The location was the island St. Mary's in the Isles of Scilly which were a group of small islands just off the south west of England with a rich history. The site of the case, the castle dated back to the 16th century and for the past year flashing lights had been spotted emitting from the structure and all the island residents' pet cats had gone missing and had turned up decapitated in the old moat. Several paranormal investigators had gone to investigate and the unlucky ones had turned up the same way as the cats. Naru frowned. The lucky ones had become uncontrollably paranoid and had completely disappeared.

If he accepted the case it would be their most dangerous yet. He would have to make everyone aware of what accepting the case entailed.

He scrolled to the bottom of the document to read that a few days ago a group of teenagers had sneaked into the ruins on a dare and only one had made it back out. The others had been found in the moat with their heads missing which was presumably why he had been asked to investigate as a last resort to prevent anymore lives being lost.

Naru stood up. He would inform everyone about the case and let them make their mind up. He would also have a talk with Mai. He walked out of his office and entered Lin's.

"Call everyone here."

The employees of SPR read the case file with trepidation. None of them, apart from Lin had ever seen their boss so serious before. A read of the case synopsis explained why. It was a very gruesome case with deadly consequences if anyone made a misstep.

"Who would be willing to come to the island with me?" he queried as he sipped his tea.

There was a short silence as everyone made up their minds.

"If anyone wants to leave at the slightest of danger, they will not be stopped," he added.

"I'm going as I have to accompany you anyway," Lin said and closed his copy of the case file.

"I cannot go. Not because I am scared, but due to filming commitments that I cancelled last month due to the previous case and I cannot put them off for any longer," Masako explained. "If you want to ask me for advice whilst you are there, you may."

"That is fine, Hara-san."

"I will go," Ayako said after a moment of indecision. "As it is a relatively uninhabited island there should be some trees that I can call on."

"If the old lady is going, I'm going too," Bou-san smirked. "She'll just say that it is a land bound spirit; you do need an actual useful person with you, Naru-chan."

"I'm coming, you always need a good researcher and it will probably be vital as this case sounds dangerous," Yasuhara said and pushed his glasses up his nose.

"I will come, Davis-san, whatever is killing, it needs to be stopped before more lives are lost," John said.

"That is everyone apart from Hara-san and Mai," Naru summarised before meeting his wife's eyes. "You want to come."

Mai nodded. "My dreams might come in useful and someone needs to keep you in control. I will get Hana to look after Yakumo whilst we are away. She did say that she was missing him."

"That is a wise decision," her husband agreed. "If I tell you that it is too dangerous and to leave, you will leave the island, that is your condition for going. Is that clear?"

"Yes," Mai promised sincerely. "Pinky promise?"

Naru rolled his eyes but he shook fingers with her nevertheless.

"We will be leaving in two days time. Make sure to pack everything that you will need for an exorcism," Naru said. "Mai, English lesson in my office. Now."

* * *

**The Isles of Scilly are a group of islands off the south west of England and "Scilly" is pronounced "silly".**

 


	2. Reunion

**Isle of death**

**Chapter 1:**

**Bold text denotes speaking in English**

* * *

Two plane flights later, the SPR landed at Heathrow airport in London. It had been arranged that they would spend a night at the Davis residence before driving for eight hours to Cornwall and taking a ferry to St. Mary's.

The SPR employees trudged through security and immigration and out the exit where Naru's foster parents were waiting.

Mau dumped her luggage into Naru's arms and ran over to hug Luella Davis.

" **Luella! It's nice to see you again** ," she said in English.

The woman beamed at her son's wife. " **Your pronunciation has improved a lot, Mai-chan. Has Noll been teaching you again?"**

A black clad arm handed Mai her suitcase and handbag back. She looked up to see her employer and husband glaring at her.

 **"It has been slow progress teaching this idiot, but somehow I have managed to teach her a few things,"** he informed his mother who sent him a disapproving look.

" **You shouldn't be so mean to your adorable wife, right Martin?"** she turned to her husband for agreement.

This was a well worn argument for the professor who had to hear it every time his son's cold personality was referenced.

" **It's Noll's way of showing affection. We have a daughter in law and a grandchild, that is enough** ," he said and nodded to his son who nodded his thanks for getting his mother off his case.

Martin shook hands with everyone from SPR, having met them before at his son's wedding before leading them out of the airport to where two black vans were waiting.

" **You will take these down to Cornwall tomorrow, but you will have to rent other transport on the island if necessary** ," Martin said to Naru. " **You will have to carry all of the equipment on to ferry, I have made special arrangements for you so it will be allowed**."

" **That's very considerate of you** ," Naru answered and sat down in the van next to Mai who was already asleep from exhaustion.

He poked her face as Lin pulled the van out of the airport car park and onto the road.

"Mai, you cannot sleep now, it will not help you adjust."

Mai turned her face away. "Just a few more minutes."

He sighed. "I am going to poke you every five seconds until you wake up."

"That's being mean to your wife," Bou-san interjected, unable to keep quiet for any longer.

"She will thank me for allowing her body clock to adjust to the time difference," Naru retorted as he poked her soft cheek gently. "Mai, if you stay awake I will reward you."

Strangely enough Mai managed to crack open an eyelid. "What reward do I get?"

Naru smirked, he had obtained her attention. "I might say "thank you" for once."

Immediately she perked up and adjusted her posture so she wouldn't succumb to sleep so easily. Much to her husband's amusement she pinched herself every few seconds for the rest of the journey to his parents' house.

The Davis residence was modestly sized for an English house in a city. It was Victorian with ornate pillars and brickwork. Having never seen the house before, all the SPR irregulars stared at it in awe.

"You never mentioned that you lived in a mansion," Bou-san commented.

"It's not a mansion, Japanese houses are just a lot smaller," the narcissist answered. "As testament to its size you will all be sharing rooms."

He turned round to see his mother shooting him a reproachful look.

" **Yes, Mum?** "

**"There are only two females in your group and I assume that you are sharing with Mai, leaving Ayako on her own."**

" **She can share with Bou-san and they can argue a lot and them realise that their ways of showing affection are insulting each other about their age** ," her son said dismissively as he entered the house, carrying his and Mai's luggage. "Hurry up, Mai."

"Yes," Mai said and ran in after him.

Luella blinked in surprise. He was becoming more considerate to others now and subtly kind to his wife. She wouldn't have to give him a talk after all. She beamed and made her way into the house behind the SPR employees.

* * *

After dinner Mai served everyone tea in the living room. To fit in with the location she had made Darjeeling as opposed to green tea. She handed the last one to her spouse and waited for the promised "thank you."

Naru took a sip and became aware that he was being eyeballed from all directions.

"Yes?"

"You promised Mai if she stayed awake in the car that you would say "thank you"," John, who had been a witness reminded Naru.

"I remember saying "I might"," Naru smirked at Mai who was rapidly becoming annoyed.

"If you don't say "thank you" I will never make you tea again."

Naru glanced at her sharply. Now that she was getting serious the welfare of his tea was in danger.

"That is not much of a threat, Mai; I can make my own."

His assistant raised one eyebrow delicately. "Oh? That's strange, why have you never done it before?"

She leaned in so that her face was right next to his and reached out her hand to take away his teacup. Naru grabbed her hand and stared straight at her, knowing that he wouldn't be able to give up drinking her tea.

"You win. Thank you for the tea," he sighed.

Yasuhara nudged a frozen Martin Davis who was shocked at the sight of his son saying "thank you" and Luella was in a similar state.

" **Mai-chan is the only person that can handle him** ," Yasuhara stage whispered cheerfully.

The priestess pulled Mai into a hug. "Well done for standing up to the narcissist like that and getting him to say "thank you". I think his parents are grateful."

Mai found herself being pulled away from Ayako and onto her husband's lap.

"I have said thank you to them before, they did raise me after all."

By now the professor had recovered from the shock and was able to correct the reply.

" **Only a few times, Noll. At best you nod or say "that was considerate". Thank you Mai."**

 **"That's fine with me Martin,"** she replied cheerfully.

Naru poked her cheek. "It's getting late and we need to be up early tomorrow morning. Come on, Mai."

He gently pushed her off him and put an arm around her waist as he led her away from the bad influences known as SPR and his parents. If the conversation had continued he might have ended up being forced to say "please" all the time and Mai was definitely capable of that.

Once in their bedroom he pulled the case report out of his hand luggage and read it again whilst Mai was in the shower. The investigation was going to be difficult due to the fact that they would be isolated on the island and locals were normally distrustful of outsiders. It was also dangerous to collect any data on the castle as they would have to actually enter the ruins which was where everything had gone wrong for the previous investigators. A survey of the surrounding area would be required, Naru theorised thoughtfully.

When Mai came out of the bathroom dressed in Hello Kitty pyjamas she found Naru also in his light blue pyjamas reading the case file. As usual the sight of him in his pyjamas caused Mai to develop a pink tint to her cheeks. Despite the fact that they had been married for six months she still became slightly giddy at the sight.

However she was unaware that her husband had similar feelings upon seeing her in her favourite Hello Kitty pyjamas. As she got into bed next to him he gave her a cursory glance and noted her pyjamas which always made him think that she looked... cute, for the lack of a better word.

She leaned over to look at what he was reading and saw the photos that she had kept her from seeing by not including them in her copy of the case file. Mai winced at the photo which was of a cat's body with its head missing and the fur cut open like a corpse on a dissecting table with its internal organs spilling out.

"Mai, this happened to humans too. I am showing you this so you fully understand the dangers," Naru said and closed the file. "One error and we might all end up like this. Please promise me that you will actually follow my orders this time."

"I promise," Mai agreed, unable to forget the image of the cat.

Naru gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Thank you, Mai."

"You have to promise me the same thing too," she replied sharply. "It wouldn't do for only one of us to make the promise."

"I promise," he said understandingly. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if that happened to her and he knew she would feel that same way if it was him.

She yawned and switched off the lamp on her side of the bed. "Are you staying up to read?"

Living together had made both of them accustomed to each other's habits. Mai preferred to go straight to sleep when she was tired whereas Naru was more likely to read in bed before settling down. She showered before bed whereas Naru did it after waking up in the morning.

"No, I can read in the car whilst you sleep," he said and turned off the light, plunging the room into darkness.

"Hey... I..." Mai trailed off, too tired to argue.

Naru smiled. She was always amusing like that. He fluffed his pillow and lay down next to her.

"Good night, Mai."


	3. Date

**Isle of Death**

**Chapter 3:**

**Bold text denotes speech is in English.**

The weather was perfect. The sky was cloudless and a beautiful azure blue with the sun shining off the sea. A few seagulls flying through the sky completed the idyllic coastal picture.

Mai stared wide eyed at the landscape around her. They had arrived on the island an hour ago and were transporting the equipment to the base at the island's community centre.

"Mai, stop ogling the landscape and help set up the base," Naru called out to her.

She turned and picked up a camera from the pile. "Sorry Naru."

Yasuhara who was guarding the equipment pile whilst everyone moved it, decided it was time for one of his signature comments.

"Don't take offence at him, Mai-chan. He just wants you to ogle him instead."

The backlash was immediate. His boss shot him a malevolent glare and placed a hand on his wife's arm, leading her away.

The college student burst out laughing. By now everyone at SPR had noticed that the narcissist took a lot of enjoyment in baiting his assistant, but Yasuhara knew that baiting Naru using Mai was his own personal enjoyment due to the surplus of material available.

Assigning Yasuhara to toilet duty on the previous case had not dampened his penchant for making perverted comments so Naru resolved to find something worse. If the worst came to the worst and they had not made any progress with the case in a week's time he would simply send Yasuhara into the castle ruins for a survey.

The pair arrived at the base to find Lin poring over different maps of the island to work out the quickest way to the castle in the case of an emergency.

"Have you made any progress yet, Lin?" Naru enquired as he plugged in the screen that he had carried in.

Lin pulled out a red felt tip pen and drew a route onto one of the maps.

"This should take two minutes. Takigawa-san and Brown-san have gone to the church tower to take some aerial shots of the ruins. They are also leaving a camera there."

The scientist glanced down at one of the maps and observed that the church tower was the highest point on the island closest to the ruins. His employees had some sense after all. He glanced around at the base which was empty apart from himself, his wife and Lin.

"Where is Matsuzaki-san?"

"She has gone to the guesthouse to check everyone in and pick up room keys. We are all sharing again due to the lack of rooms."

"Should I share with her so she doesn't have to share with a male again?" Mai turned to go, but was pulled back by Naru's arm twisting around her waist.

"You will be sharing with me. I am your husband and you will not be able to avoid telling me whether or not you have any dreams related to the case," Naru informed her haughtily, although it really was because he knew he would miss her warmth next to him.

Lin averted his eyes from the romantic scene in front of him. "I'm going to pick up some cameras."

He left the room leaving the married couple alone.

"I never avoided telling you, I just didn't believe that they were psychic..." Mai muttered.

Naru sighed and picked up a map and a camera. He slipped his hand into Mai's. "Let's go survey the area around the castle."

His long suffering assistant picked up a tape measure and clipboard and packed a bag, now fully accustomed to her boss' orders at the start of a new case.

"I'm ready."

As a precaution Naru locked the door of the base behind him out of concern for the expensive equipment that they had brought with them.

"Is this a date?" Mai asked suddenly as they were halfway there. "If it is, it's our first one."

Naru scowled. "Doesn't that time I took you to see that film count?"

The brunette rolled her eyes. "That was a supernatural film and when we got home you gave me a lecture on how inaccurate it was and told me not to take it seriously as it would only make me stupider."

"I bought you popcorn."

"And I brought a thermos of tea, as requested by you and got dirty looks from everyone else for making too much noise when I poured it out for you into one of your china teacups," Mai retorted as they approached a seemingly empty field of tall uncut grass.

"Stop," Naru grabbed her. "We are here. It is best that we do not go any further."

Mai focused ahead of her and realised that she could see the outline of some ruins through the grass. To the left of her was a trail of trampled grass.

"Is this the way the teenagers went?"

He nodded. "I think we should pull some grass out so the camera has a better view."

He pulled up his sleeves and Mai did the same. She stared around at the peaceful field with the wind gently blowing through the long grass.

"It looks so peaceful here," she commented as she threw a handful of grass onto the steadily growing pile. "How come people found things in the moat and weren't affected?"

"That is because we are at the back of the ruins. The other side has all the vegetation cut back so there is a clear view of the moat. We are on this side because I want a full picture of the situation. The others can set up cameras later," Naru answered and turned to look at her. "Five more minutes and I will buy you an ice cream. I think they sell Cornish ice cream which is the best type."

Mai beamed. "Thank you Naru."

"It will also give us an opportunity to pick up the local gossip. People always relax their guard for young married couples."

She narrowed her eyes. "I can't speak fluent English, Naru. You can go on your own."

"All the better, they will be even more forthcoming to us," he said and took her hand again.

Reluctantly Mai allowed herself to be led back down the road to the harbour of the island where a small ice cream shop was located. Naru perused the list of selections on the blackboard outside in satisfaction before entering, causing the bell above the door to ring.

An elderly lady standing behind the counter gave them a brief suspicious nod, but her stiff stance relaxed when she spotted their joined hands and matching rings. Mai resisted the urge to roll her eyes, Naru was right as usual.

" **Two vanilla please** ," Naru requested with one of his plastic smiles, which only Mai could see through.

The proprietor scooped ice cream onto two cones and placed them in holders on top of the counter.  **"£1.50**."

Naru handed over a £2 coin. " **Keep the change."**

He handed one ice cream to Mai and picked up his. In a calculated act of affection, the narcissist tweaked her nose.

" **Don't eat too fast or you will get an ice cream headache."**

" **Aren't you two the paranormal investigators?"** the woman asked doubtfully.

Naru turned back. " **Yes, I am Kazuya Shibuya and this is my wife, Mai. What is your name?"**

**"Karen Abbott. You two don't look like the other investigators that have come here, but they all looked the same after going into the ruins..."**

**"We were called here after that group of teenagers went in on a dare..."** Naru trailed off and licked a drip of melting ice cream that was threatening to drip onto his hand.

Karen looked down sadly. " **That dare cost this island five teenagers and the only one that came back has never left her house since and is apparently uncontrollable."**

 **"I'm sorry. We are hoping to solve this case so no one else will die,"** Naru said in a respectful tone and bowed his head.

". **..You aren't going to enter the ruins, are you?"** She glanced at Mai.  **"You can't leave such a young wife to be a widow."**

Naru could understand the woman's concerns. There was no way that he wanted to lose his life and leave Mai alone to look after Yakumo all her life.

 **"Not until we fully understand the case. The other investigators that are part of my company are trained exorcists,"** he assured her.

 **"If you say so..."** she said doubtfully.  **"Would it help if I gave you the address of the teenage girl that survived? Her parents should let you talk to her if you explain."**

**"That would be helpful."**

Once they were outside he reverted back to Japanese. "I told you that people let their guard down for young married couples."

Mai glared at him. Was that the only reason that he had brought her with him? Then she spotted that he had a spot of ice cream around his mouth. She stood on tiptoes and boldly licked it off for him.

"Thank you for the date, Noll."

His reaction was satisfying. He looked shocked before staring down at her with a smirk.

"Mai, you have ice cream on your shirt."

As she glanced down he dropped part of his ice cream down her neck, enjoying her shiver as the cold substance hit her skin.

"Naru! Stop bullying me!" she screamed and smeared her ice cream on his cheek.

"Ice cream is for eating, not playing," he admonished her playfully.

Unknown to the married couple, all of his employees were peeking around the corner.

"No way. Are they on a date?" Bou-san asked. "Jou-chan told me that they had never been on a date."

"We're in the middle of an investigation so it can't be," Ayako answered. "Lin-san?"

"Naru said that he was going to be questioning some of the locals..."

"Is he using Mai-chan to make him appear more approachable?" Yasuhara theorised.

"I think it might be 70% investigation and 30% date," Lin informed them shrewdly.

"I think the date part is over now, they have finished their ice creams," Bou-san observed and withdrew his head.

"That ice cream was the best one that I've ever tasted," Mai said and stretched her arms happily, contented with the "date".

"I told you that Cornish ice cream is superior. It should be down here..."

"The blue cottage on the left side," she recited what the lady in the ice cream shop had said. "Naru, should I talk to the girl? You have a very dark presence and she is closer to my age than yours."

He had to admit that she was right. He wasn't the right type of person to question mentally unstable females.

"Just this once."


	4. Dream

**Isle of Death:**

**Chapter 4:**

**Bold text denotes English speech.**

_Red eyes... I don't want to die..._

_Everyone else did_

_Why didn't I?_

Mai stared concernedly at the teenage girl who she was supposed to be interviewing. Her name was Alice and she was currently trapped in her bed cover muttering darkly to herself. Her bedroom was in semi darkness with the curtains drawn tightly across the window.

Mai mouthed to Naru "what is she saying?" as she was only able to understand parts of it. Naru mouthed the answer back at her and she got to work.

She sat down next to the huddled pile of sheets.

" **Hello Alice, I'm Mai,"** she said softly.

Alice stirred and opened her eyes to stare fearfully at her.  **"You don't have red eyes?"**

**"No, I don't. What is scary about red eyes?"**

The teenager began to shake again. "... **The red eye sees all..."**

Mai looked at Naru for a translation which he relayed.

" **Who has red eyes?"** she asked and laid a hand on Alice's arm to stop her from shaking.

" **The person that killed everyone..."**

Naru leaned forward and whispered the next question into Mai's ear in English. The traumatised mess of a girl in front of him had short brown hair and caramel eyes like his wife so he wasn't enjoying watching her for the fear that he might see Mai like that one day and it would be his fault for not protecting her.

" **Were they male or female?"**

 **"It was a woman. She ripped off their heads and left me alone... she said it was deliberate..."** Alice sobbed.

" **It's all right. She is not here now, she cannot hurt you,"** Mai patted her head comfortingly.

Her boss told her the next question to ask.  **"Could you give me a description of what the woman looked like?"**

The girl began to choke and splutter uncontrollably. Mai pulled her up so she was in an upright position and hit her back in an attempt to clear her airways.

"Mai, there is an compulsion acting on her so she can't answer us. I don't think we will get anything else out of her," the narcissist said. "The best thing we can do for her is solve the case- that way she might return to normal."

The pair encountered the girl's mother on their way out.

" **Will she ever be the same again?"**

 **"Possibly. It depends on what it causing it,"** Naru answered, unwilling to make a promise.

**"I hope so. I think that fact that she lost her boyfriend and all of her childhood friends on the same night is why she is acting that way. She feels very alone..."**

"Naru, what did Alice's mother say to you. I didn't recognise some of the words. She said something about a boyfriend but I didn't understand the rest," Mai questioned once they were outside.

"Yes, she feels alone because all of her friends have died. Why?" Naru gave her a sharp look, then he remembered what Alice had said.

"... _left me alone...she said it was deliberate."_

"When Alice's mother talked to you, I had a feeling that the word " **alone"** was significant.  **"Alone"** is "hitori", right?"

"Well done. Your animal instincts are working again," he tapped her on the head, enjoying the sour face that she was making. "I'm not being serious about the animal instincts, I've outgrown that, but your abilities will come in useful on this case."

"I will try my best," Mai grinned.

Naru kissed her on the cheek. "For once. I hope everyone had set up the base and cameras in our absence."

Fortunately for his employees, the base had been set up and all the cameras were functioning.

"Enjoy your date?" Yasuhara enquired innocently as Naru and Mai walked in.

"It was passable," Naru answered and sat down next to Lin, refusing to be baited by Yasuhara. "Remind me why I keep you around and pay you?"

"Because my research skills are unbeatable," the college student boasted and pushed his glasses up his nose so that the lenses glinted in the light.

 **"** Get researching them."

"I already did and I found something useful, Naru-sama," Yasuhara retorted and waved his laptop at Naru who glanced at Lin for confirmation.

Lin nodded. "It is indeed a lead, whether or not it will go anywhere is another question."

Everyone took the opportunity to crowd around Yasuhara and his laptop. Mai stood on her tiptoes to see over Lin's head.

"As we all know, some people made it out of the ruins and others did not," he began to set the scene. "I got Martin-san to send me details and there seems to be a correlation."

He brought up an image file of photos of everyone who had been known to enter the ruins with their relationship status written below their photos.

"On the left side is those who left with their heads intact and those who sadly never made it out alive are on the right. Can anyone see it?"

Everyone who survived has brown hair or eyes and is single, apart from Alice," the brunette observed, recognising one of the faces.

"That's right," Yasuhara acknowledged. "I couldn't fit that girl in."

"Her boyfriend died when he went in," Naru explained. "Apparently the woman who attacked her told her she was leaving her alive and alone."

With this, the motive was clear to everyone in the base.

Bou-san was the first to voice it. "So whatever is killing all those people doesn't like couples and likes to kill one half of a couple and make the other one suffer. It doesn't kill people who are not in a relationship."

"It does seem to be that. However I don't know how brown hair or cats fits into it," Yasuhara frowned.

"That was a good lead, Yasuhara," the narcissist said. "Now, find out everything you can about the castle."

Yasuhara dramatically swooned. "Your gratitude overwhelms me."

Naru glared at him. "Be glad I'm not sending you into the ruins considering that you are single and have brown hair," Naru retorted as he picked out the electric kettle from the box on the floor. "Mai, tea."

"A please would be nice," Mai grumbled and took the kettle from him to fill it with water.

Yasuhara packed his messenger bag with a notebook and a set of pens. "I'm going to the library, Mai-chan, don't do anything rash whilst I'm gone."

With that parting line he left before Mai could retort. She handed her husband his tea and glanced over his shoulder to see what he was looking at.

"What's that map for?"

Her husband gave her an exasperated look. "Mai, it's a map of the Isles of Scilly- we are currently on an island in the Isles of Scilly. You should know that, I thought you always read over my shoulder when I read case files in bed."

Upon hearing this she flushed a deep read. Now everyone in the base knew her habit.

"Is that the only thing that you two do in bed?" Bou-san asked suggestively, acting as a stand in for Yasuhara.

Mai looked puzzled. "We sleep of course. What else would we do?"

"Don't you-" the monk was cut off by Ayako hitting him around the head with her handbag.

"Leave them alone. You need to stop the fatherly act- Mai is married now and she can do what she likes," the priestess hissed in his ear.

"Thank you, Matsuzaki-san," Naru said gratefully before wondering whether or not he should be glad for Mai's ignorance to entendres or worried. "We are currently on St. Marys, the most populated island. Bryher and Tresco are also populated but others are deserted and no one goes on the,. I was debating surveying the neighbouring island which is deserted so we have everything covered."

"I see your point, Shibuya-san," John agreed. "There may be a location on that island with a connection to the ruins here."

Naru glanced out the window at the steadily fading sun in the sky. It was too late to acquire a boat, pack the equipment and get to the island before it got dark.

"We will do it tomorrow. John, Bou-san and Lin will go over. For now we need to think of all possible avenues of investigation"

Mai debated it. Normally on a case Naru got someone to do an exorcism which normally didn't work the first time and it couldn't be done at the ruins due to the fact that no one could enter them without being killed. At some point she normally had a dream or that was how it used to be.

In the past six months, her boss and husband had only taken on short and simple cases which usually required a minimum amount of research and an exorcism at the end meaning that there had been no opportunity for a psychic dream and she hadn't really participated in any of them as she spent her afternoons looking after her son. She wasn't sure if all the cases that had come SPR's way had been short or if Naru had filtered all of the incoming cases to avoid bringing her into a major case so he wouldn't have to worry about her.

However, tonight she might have a dream connected to the case.

She missed Naru's glance at her thoughtful face. He knew that whatever causing all of the deaths was definitely dangerous and malicious and he wasn't sure what she was going to see in a dream. Whatever it was, it was not going to be pleasant.

Once the young married couple were ensconced in their pyjamas and in their bed at the guesthouse, Naru turned to Mai who was half asleep all ready and looked ready to drop off to sleep in a few seconds.

"Mai, if you have a dream, tell me," he ordered, "Don't think about not telling me."

"Yes, yes Naru-sama," she yawned, wanting to do nothing more than lie down and go to sleep.

Naru pushed her down and positioned his hands on either side of her face so he was above her. Naturally Mai snapped awake at the sight of her husband on top of her.

"I promise," she said, returning his steadfast gaze, understanding that was being completely serious.

He sighed. "You had better keep that promise. I don't care how upsetting or random the dream is, you have to tell me."

"Even if it involves you saying please and thank you?"

Trust Mai to come up with that, he thought to himself. "Yes, even that."

Her eyelids began to droop and Naru knew that she was about to lose herself to sleep.

"Good night, Mai."

"...Good night...Naru," was the mumbled reply. "You...look quite sexy when you are like that."

Naru groaned and moved off her so he was lying next to her. "You're supposed to say that when you are awake, idiot."

The sounds of a woman gasping and a baby crying, broke Mai out of her reverie and into a psychic dream.

She was in an ornately decorated bedroom complete with a four poster bed. The delicately flowered wall paper and the outfit that the maid in front of her was wearing enabled her to date the even that she was observing as being from the 19th century.

The maid was filling a small tin bath at the side of the bed. Mai stared past her to watch as another woman, presumably a nurse handed a newborn baby to the pale faced black haired woman sitting up in the bed.

"It's a boy, my lady," the nurse informed the mother with a smile.

"Good. Have you see the master yet?" the woman enquired.

Now the nurse and maid look wary. "...No, he has not arrived back yet."

"I see..." the woman said sadly.

The scene changed again to night time and Mai watched as the woman she had just witnessed give birth stride into a stone cottage with her black cloak furling around her. The woman's eyes widened as she saw two people, the female in a nightgown and the male in a shirt and trousers, sitting on a loveseat together with a baby in the female's arms.

"So this was what was more important than being present for your  _legitimate_  son's birth. Being with your mistress when she gave birth? I can't believe that you are an Earl with this kind of behaviour!" the woman spat angrily.

The Earl looked apologetic. "I did not hear the new. I am sorry that I could not make it. Have you chosen a name yet?" he asked, as if he was enquiring about something casual like the weather.

Mai could not blame the woman as she slapped her husband around the face, leaving a large red handprint.

"Please stop," the mistress of the Earl begged. "Your son is legitimate and will carry on the family line, mine cannot so there is nothing to worry about."

"Eleanor, you should not be moving around so soon after giving birth. Return to the castle and I will arrive later," the Earl said calmly, still acting as if he had done nothing wrong, despite the red mark on his cheek being evidence to the contrary.

Eleanor turned on her heel and stomped out of the cottage. In the distance, across the seam Mai could see the castle on another island which matched the illustrations that she had seen of what the ruins had initially looked like. Did that mean she was on a different island? She looked around, puzzled. The woman she was following was walking down to the seafront and Mai could not see any sign of a boat, raising the question of how the Earl and his wife travelled between islands? Eleanor turned into a cave and faded from view due to the darkness of the cave.

Before Mai could run and follow her, her vision faded and the scene changed again. Now she was back in Eleanor's bedroom which had changed completely and Mai guessed that there had been a major time jump as the lady of the castle now looked more haggard. She was sitting in an armchair reading a book and a stack of books were piled on the small table next her.

Mai stepped closer and read the titles which were all familiar English words and were all about curses, witchcraft and spirits and seemed more like the type of things that Naru liked to read and not the wife on an Earl. Even Mai, who was the wife of the famous Dr. Oliver Davis, didn't read books like that.

The door opened and a small child with long brown hair and attired in a frilly dress ran in, followed by a harassed looking nursemaid.

Eleanor put the book that she was reading down and held out her arms to the child who leapt into them with a squeal.

"I am sorry. He ran off and I could not catch him in time," the nursemaid apologised.

"That is fine. He is welcome anywhere at any time," the mother replied and she tweaked her son's cheek affectionately. "If you see that other child around...make him leave," she added with narrowed eyes.

Mai's vision began to blur around the edges and shake so she knew that she was close to waking up and leaving the dream world. She strained her eyes to no avail. As her vision blackened, a grotesque image of a dead body cut open with its internal organs hanging out, flashed in front of her eyes.

As she lost her grip on the astral plane , she could hear a disembodied voice.

"Mai...Noll...Why did the whales come?"

The brunette woke up with a start. In an instant her husband was at her side.

"Mai? Are you all right?"

Gently he laid his cool hand on her forehead which calmed her down as she relaxed into her pillow.

"Did you see anything traumatising?" he enquired worriedly and used his other hand to grip one of hers.

Mai shook her head. "Most of it was informative, only at the end did I see something gruesome."

She shivered and Naru gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

"It's all right. It happened in the past; you cannot do anything to change it."

Mai was stuck by her memory of the words that she had heard at the end of the dream.

"Naru, why did the whales come?"

To her surprise her husband didn't even pause to answer the question. "Don't you mean  **"Why the whales came** "?"

"Eh?"

Now Naru looked confused. "Why did you ask me about it?"

"What is it?" Mai was becoming increasingly confused and the fact that she had just woken up was not helping.

Her employer gave her an exasperated look. "Mai, after I explain, you have to tell me why you suddenly asked. " **Why the whales came"** is a children's book that takes place on an island in the Isles of Scilly. The two main characters..." he trailed off. "Did Gene tell you this?"

Mai shook her head vehemently. "No, I haven't seen him since...his body was pulled from the lake. Someone, I couldn't hear properly, said "why did the whales come" right before I woke up and they said "Noll" as well. Does this mean...?"

"I think my twin is trying to give us a hint to the case," he scratched the back of his neck as spoke. "Couldn't the idiot have just come straight out and told us to go look on Samson?"

"Samson?" she questioned, wondering if she was still dreaming.

"It's a deserted island opposite the one was are on. In the story, the two children see a light on Samson and believe that it is haunted. There is an innocent explanation for it in the book, but what Gene is saying is to investigate Samson in relation to the case."

Mai clapped her hands, now understanding. "That was where I was in my dream, I looked out and I could see the castle on St. Marys from where I was. That explains it!"

In response to her statement, Naru reached over to his bedside table to grab his notebook and pen and to switch on the light causing Mai to screw her eyes shut.

"Mai, could you please tell me what happened in your dream so I can actually understand what you are saying?"

"Can't I tell you in the morning?" Mai murmured and snuggled into the duvet.

Her evasive action simply made the scientist pull the duvet off her so she wouldn't get comfortable. He leaned down and stared straight at her and smiled smoulderingly. He knew he had won when he heard Mai's withdrawn breath.

"Mai, if I tell you now, I will reward you..."

"What will I get? Saying that you  _might_  say "thank you" isn't worth depriving me of sleep," she griped at her husband who simply smirked at her.

Before she could say anything else, Naru had dived in and was giving her a bruising kiss on the lips. After a minute he drew back in satisfaction at the sight of Mai's glazed eyes.

"We will continue where we left off after you tell me what you dreamt," he informed her as he reached for his notebook and pen again.

She groaned. "You're never fair."

"Please hurry up and tell me, Mai."

"Fine. It started in..."

Fifteen minutes later, the physic was finished and Naru closed his notebook which now contained a hurried write up of Mai's dream. The scientist gave her a soft kiss as a reward before deepening it and pushing her back down.


	5. Notice

This is just a note to say that this fanfiction is on hiatus which is most likely to be permanent.

I am not likely to continue with this story due to a number of issues with one of the most major one being that this story is the continuation of my first fanfiction for this fandom which was nowhere near an example of my best work and I was still experimenting with writing styles and characterisation and I have improved since then and I feel like continuing this story would feel like I have gone backwards in writing ability. This was originally written whilst I was in between fanfictions and I was stuck for ideas and then I got several at once, another reason this was discontinued.

A important point I should have mentioned earlier is that I can't find my story plan and I don't remember what was supposed to happen. :(

Thank you to those who did give their support for this fanfiction.


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